Bangladesh: Fourth Blogger Murdered; Niloy Neel Hacked to Death with Machetes in Dhaka

Niloy Neel, an activist and blogger, was murdered in his house on Friday.

Aug 7, 2015 14:53 IST

Another blogger has been murdered in Bangladesh, making it the fourth such incident against writers since the slaying of Avijit Roy earlier this year.

Niloy Neel, who was an activist and blogger, was murdered in his house on Friday by five assailants, bdnews24.com reported.

He was hacked to death with machetes at his house in Dhaka, AFP reported.

"They entered his room in the fifth floor and shoved his friend aside and then hacked him (Neel) to death. He was a listed target of the Islamist militants," the head of the Bangladesh Blogger and Activist Network told the news agency.

Neel's name was Niloy Chowdhury, but he used the former name in the blogging community, Dhaka Tribune reported,

Neel used to write about the need for capital punishment for 1971 war criminals, the report said.

Niloy Neel's Facebook page stated that he hailed from Dhaka but lived in Calcutta in India. It is not clear if he moved to Bangladesh or was there on a trip.

The page also suggests that he was part of the 'Science and Rationalist Association of Bangladesh'.

His friends and relatives expressed shock, evident by their posts on his Facebook page.